Circular knitting machine with jacks under selected needles



Oct. 4, 1960 G. R. MORIN 2,954,636

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE WITH JACKS UNDER SELECTED NEEDLES Filed Nov. 25, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.3

INVENTOR.

Gerard K. lforz'zz y QQ-M/ ATTORNEY Oct. 4, 1960 R. MORIN CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE WITH JACKS UNDER SELECTED NEEDLES 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed NOV. 25, 1957 INVENTOR. Gerard J? M 0 r271, y

ATTORNEY G. R. MORIN Oct. 4, 1960 CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE WITH JACKS UNDER SELECTED NEEDLES 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed NOV. 25, 1957 INVENTOK Ge ma! 1?, JVrZ 21 BY ATTORNEY Oct. 4, 1960 G. R, MORIN 2,954,686

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE WITH JACKS UNDER SELECTED NEEDLES Filed Nov. 25, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIG.9

1N VENTOR.

Gerard R. fl[0rizz ATTORNEY Y miss the yarn as desired, or for other operations.

United States Patent "CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE WITH JACKS UNDER SELECTED NEEDLES Gerard R. Morin, Laconia, NH, assignor to Cormier Hosiery Mills, Inc., Laconia, N.H., a corporation Filed Nov. 25, 1957, Ser. No. 698,816

6 Claims. (Cl. 66-48) This invention relates to knitting and, more particularly, to an improved low cylinder type circular knitting machine including means, independent of the lengths of the butts of the cylinder needles, for selectively directing a portion of the needles to follow an idle pathway above through page 20, column 1, line 12), the needles to be inactivated are guided into a path in which their butts are below the knitting cams.

However, in the case of every machine employing implements, such as picks, acting directly on the needle butts during making of the heel and toe, the needles are divided into long butt needles and short butt needles. The longer longer butt needles can thus be cammed up ordown to be inactivated, while the short butt needles are moved through the knitting sequence by reciprocation of the cylinder, the short butt needles being serially put into and out of action, to form the pocket, by picks acting on their butts.

Operations of this type are readily effected on so-called high cylinder machines, in which long jacks may be used 1 under the needles and ample room is available for either stationary or movable cams to operate on the jacks at a various selected locations around the cylinder. However, many of the circular hosiery knitting machines in use areof the low cylinder type, due to their lower first cost and greater economy of operation as compared to the high cylinder type.

Many of these low cylinder machines are provided with short jacks operating by stationary cams mounted in recessed portions of the needle supporting cams. Generally, these short jacks are used to divide the needles so that selected or alternate needles may be made to The shortlengths of these jacks and the confined space in which they must operate make it difficult to use other than stationary cams to operate them, and the needles must be brought to low levels for the jacks to divide them.

This requires the use of booster cams to raise the selected needles to the desired level.

In accordance with the present invention, jacks are placed under all the needles which are to be idled during 2,954,686 Patented Oct. 4, 1960 For an understanding of the invention principles, reference is made to the following description of a typical embodiment thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic developed elevation view illustrating the cam arrangement of a circular knitting machine embodying the invention, the several cylinder needle paths being shown by broken lines;

Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are side elevation views of long, medium, and short butt needles, respectively;

Figs. 5-8 are views corresponding to Fig. 1 and showing the positions of the movable cams during certain of the knitting sequences;

Fig. 9 is a partial elevation view of the knitting machine; and

Fig. 10 is a partial elevation view illustrating certain control elements of the machine.

Referring to Fig. l, the illustrated cam arrangement includes a run down or straight away stitch cam 11 and a reverse stitch cam 12 which is movable toward and away from the cylinder. A center cam is illustrated at 13 and the standard switch cams at 14 and 15, these latter cams also being movable toward and away from the cylinder. A movable lowering cam 16 is provided to lower all needles to the welt level after they have been raised to the tuck level by stationary cam 17.

The illustrated arrangement can be used to knit an elastic tucked stitch top, of a form suggested by Marquis US. Patent No. 2,765,643, using a low cylinder type circular knitting machine of the well-known Scott and Williams type. In making this type of top, long butt needles 20L, medium butt needles 20M, and short butt needles 208 are used, these needles being shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4. Alternate cylinder slots contain long butt needles 20L, with a medium butt needle 20M being in every fourth slot and a short butt needle 208 in each remaining slot.

In accordance with the invention, jacks 25', as illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 1 are placed under all of the needles to be inactivated at the start of the heel or toe. Just in advance of kntting the heel of a stocking, all the cylinder needles are lowered by cam 16. When the lowered needles approach cam 26 the instep needles having jacks 25 thereunder are raised to pathway B while the remaining needles, used to knit the. heel and toe, continue along pathway A. By projecting switch cam 14 toward the cylinder at this time, the butts of the instep needles will engage this switch cam so that the instep needles are raised to idle pathway C. The butts of the remaining, or heel and toe, needles pass under cam 14 and these needles are eventually lowered by stitch cam 11. Switch cam 15, at this time, is retracted from the cylinder.

Before the motion of the cylinder is reversed, earns 14 and 16 are retracted from the cylinder and, at the completion of the heel or toe, switch cam 15 is moved back adjacent the cylinder to lower all the instep needles from idle pathway C back into a position Where their butts will pass through'the knitting cams.

Cams 21 and 22 are used to interlace rubber yarn into the fabric of the stocking top, cam 22 lowering the needles after they have taken the rubber or elastic yarn into their hooks. For this purpose, the sinkers are withdrawn by a cam (not shown) fastened to a flat spring 40 (Fig. 9) and controlled by an L lever 41 fulcrumed on a screw 42 and in turn controlled from the main drum (not shown) by a rod 43. Withdrawal of the sinkers allows cam 22 to operate the needles to draw the elastic yarn into the throats of the sinkers. When it is desired to interlace elastic yarn into the fabric, cam 21 is moved toward the cylinder at distance sufiicient to raise. only the long butt needles 20L in every other slot of the cylinder.

' needles'have"been raised to the tuck'level'by cam 32. Thus, the long and medium buttneedleswill pass under cam 24, when this cam is adjacent the'cylinder,"while the short butt needles 208 will be raised by cam 24, in its inner position, to clear their latches. Cam 23 is movable toward the cylinder a sufficient distance to. engage the butts of needles ML and 20M to raise these needles to 'the latch clearing position.

The operation of the apparatus in'knitting a sock or stocking will now be described with particular reference to Figs. 1 and 58. At the start ofthe operation, all needles are cleared of all fabric by raising the yarn levers so as to remove yarn from'the needles while they are pass- 111g over stitch cam 12. This clearsthe latches of the needles, and the needles are then lowered successively to the stitch forming level by cams.13 and 11. The foregoing action is controlled,'in theusual manner, by a movement of the main control drum (not shown).

Referring to Fig. 5, this same operation of the control drum moves earns 16 and 22 to a position (solid lines) adjacent the cylinderwith cam 21 being withdrawn from "the'cylmd'er (dotted lines) a 'sufiicient distance to miss the butts of all needles. Likewise by the same main control drum action, lever 41 (Fig. 9) is pivoted about fulcrum 42 to depress spring 44) which, as stated previously, carries a cam which moves the sinkers outwardly at a position just in advance of the-needles, being drawn down by cam 22, having their hooks approach the noses of the sinkers. This sinker camholds the sinkers outward while i the needle hooks pass below the noses of'the sinkers, and releases the sinkers after the needles reach'their lowest level. Thus, the elastic yarn drawn by the needles into the sinker throats is' held therein by inward movement of the sinkers.

Referring to Fig. 6, the main control drum then operates to withdraw stitch cam-12 (dotted lines) sufiiciently 'to miss the butts of all needles so that all needles will pass this cam-withoutclearing their latches. At the same time, cam21 is moved toward the cylinder a suflicient distance to engage the'butts of long butt needles 20L to yarn into their books but insufficient to' clear their latches of any stitches around their shanks. The needles 26L, in alternate slots of the cylinder, thereupon take elastic yarn into their hooks for four revolutions without clearing their latches so that four rounds of elastic yarn are held in the hooks of needles 20L.

The main control drum now drops one or more yarn feedsinto action at the main knitting feed, moves stitch cam 12 towardthe cylinder sufficiently to engage the butts of needles 20L, and moves cams 23 and 24 toward the cylinder. Stitch cam 12 raises needles 20L sufiiciently to clear their latches. Cam 24 is moved sufficiently close to engage the butts of short butt needles 2ilS to raise needles 208 to latch clearing position. Cam 23 is moved in only sufliciently to engage the butts. of needles 29L and 20M while missing the butts of needles 20S. Cam 23 thusraises needles 20L and 20M to the latch clearing position. The same movement of the main control drum operates lever 51 (Fig. to release pawl 56 from ratchet Wl1eel 52 so that auxiliary drum 53 will start rotating.

-der. Such movement is effected by earns 54, 56, and two like'cams shown in broken lines on high speed drive gear 55 which rotates once for each fourrevolutions of the needle cylinder. These cams operate carn follower 57 secured to lever 51. It will be noted from Fig. 10 that earns 54, 56 and the two cams shown in broken lines have a relative location ongear 55 such that they operate'drum 53 through lever '51, pawl and ratchet 52 during 1 /2 revolutions of the cylinder with drum 53 remaining stationary during the next 2% revolutions of the cylinder.

Summarizing, cam 54 rotates auxiliary drum 52 by the space of one tooth, cam' 56 repeats this operation onehalf revolution later, and the operation is repeated twice again by the two. cams shownin broken lines. Thus, drum '52 is advanced one tooth for each half revolution of the needle cylinder or each one-eighth revolution of gear 55.

The timing efiect of drum 53 is such that elastic yarn is fed to the needles for one additional course wherein all needles knit. When this course is completed, cam 21 is withdrawn so that needles 20L are no longer raised to take elastic yarn. One-half revolution later, cam 23 is withdrawn so that medium butt needles 20M will tuck. After either three or seven courses, cam {21 is reintroduced for one revolution so that needles 20L 'will be raised to take elastic yarn in their hooks for one course. One-half revolution after re-introduction of cam 21, cam 23 is re-introduced to raise need1es 20L and 20M to the latch clearing position.

As previously stated, stitch cam 12 is, during this time, closeenough to the cylinder to raise needles 20L to the latch clearing-position so that retraction of cam 23 causes only needles 20M to tuck.

At the end of this one revolution, cam 21'is retracted so that needles 20L are not raised to take elastic yarn. One-half revolution later, cam 24 isretracted so that short butt needles 208 will tuck for either three or seven cylinder revolutions, as desired. These moves are repeated throughout knitting of the stocking top to make an elastic top of considerable bulk while using normal size yarn and Stitches. 7

When the top isfinished, stitch cam 12 is -moved in sufliciently to raise and clear all needles to make a plain knit leg, and cams 21, 22, 23 and 24 are retracted. This condition is-shown in Fig. 7.

When a sufficient number of courses have been knit to form the leg, the main control drum shifts the clutch to reciprocate the needle cylinder to form the heel. 7 Just in advance of this shift, cam 14 is moved in adjacent the cylinder. The instep forming needles, with jacks in their slots, have, during the top and leg forming sequences,

beenconstantlyraised to pathway B as-the jacks'25 ride over cam 26, and have been lowered by cam 18. This cam may be made movable in and out if desired. When cam 14 is moved in, the instep needles are'raised to idle pathway 0, while needles without jacks 25 in their cylinder slots will pass under cam 14in pathway A, being raised successively'by cams 32' and 31 to tuck position, and then to latch clearing position-by-cam 12.. Also, near the end of the last leg course cams 16 and .14 are retracted as shown in Fig. 8.

The heel is knit in the usualmanner, with narrowing picks 60 and 61 putting the lead-needle out ofoperation during each reciprocation of the needle cylinder. .Upon completion of thefirst half of the heel, widening pick'.62 is placed in operation to lower "two needles each reciprocation. When all the needles put out of action by picks 6i) and elhave been returned to action, the main control drum shifts the clutch'to again rotate the needle cylinder. Cam 15 is moved-adjacent the cylinder tolower the .instep needles from idle pathway C toan active knitting pathway, and cam 16 will be movedadjacentxthe cylinder to lowerallneedles to the lowest level for divisionof the needles by jacks 25 riding over cam 26.

..Upon completion ofthednstep', the toe is knit u'singythe same cam and needle movements as used to knitfthe heel. Upon completion 'of the toe, the usual loopers-waste courses are. knit followed by casting of-the stocking-from theneedles.

I t',should be understood that the elastic'top knitting sequence is described by way of example, and that the operation of jacks 25 during knitting of the foot is not dependent upon the manner in which the top and leg are knit.

While a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the invention principles, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.

What is claimed is:

1. In a circular knitting machine of the type including a relatively short rotating cylinder having slots receiving knitting needles, means for knitting hosiery comprising, in combination, needles, having different length butts, arranged around the cylinder in a pre-set pattern; selecting cams selectively engageable with the butts of said needles for pattern knitting; and elements, having single butts of uniform length independent of the needle butts and said cams, operable on said needles as the sole means to divide the needles to raise selected needles to an inactive level above said cams during knitting of the heel and toe.

2. In a circular knitting machine of the type including a relatively short rotating cylinder having slots receiving knitting needles, means for knitting hosiery comprising, in combination, needles, having dilierent length butts, arranged around the cylinder in a pre-set pattern; selecting cams selectively engageable with the butts of said needles for pattern knitting; and elements, having single butts of uniform length independent of the needle butts and said cams, operable on the instep knitting needles as the sole means to raise the instep knitting needles to an inactive level above said cams.

3. In a circular knitting machine of the type including a relatively short rotating cylinder having slots receiving knitting needles, means for knitting hosiery comprising, in combination, needles, having different length butts,

arranged around the cylinder in a pre-set pattern; selecting cams selectively engageable with the butts of said needles for pattern knitting; and jacks having single butts of uniform length movably mounted in the slots of selected needles and engageable with the ends thereof as the sole means to divide the needles to raise selected needles to an inactive level above said cams during knitting of the heel and toe.

4. In a circular knitting machine of the type including a relatively short rotating cylinder having slots receiving knitting needles, means for knitting hosiery comprising, in combination, needles, having diiferent length butts, arranged around the cylinder in a pre-set pattern; selecting cams selectively engageable with the butts of said needles for pattern knitting; and jacks having single butts of uniform length movably mounted in the slots of the instep knitting needles and engageable with the ends thereof as the sole means to raise the instep knitting needles to an inactive level above said cams during knitting of the heel and toe. v

5. In a circular knitting machine as claimed in claim 4, cam means engageable with the butts on the jacks to elevate and then lower said jacks.

6. In a circular knitting machine as claimed in claim 4, lowering cam means selectively movable into the path of the butts of the instep knitting needles at said inactive level to lower the instep knitting needles from said inactive level for operation by said selecting cams.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,140,270 Lawson May 8, 1915 1,377,459 Bosworth May 10, 1921 1,922,977 Page Aug. 15, 1933 1,947,617 Robinson Feb. 20, 1934 2,726,525 Haddad Dec. 13, 1955 2,861,440 Crawford Nov. 25, 1958 

